Mercury Steele stood defiantly in front of the men in white lab coats exiting the abandoned hospital. When doc’ rounded the corner with eyes wide and bulging, every muscle in Mercury's body clenched. He held the Mosin Nagant in his hands like a statement of fact. Very deliberately, Mercury shouldered his weapon, but pointed it down and at the ready. The doc' was the one man that just might convince him to throw his salvation away for the satisfaction of having killed him.
The men were lugging an old hospital stretcher out and had been enthralled in whatever large object lay on it, covered with filthy sheets . It was only after they had cleared the hospital for several yards did they notice the ragged group impeding their way. They all looked stunned, one of them even dropped the stretcher and it fell with a thud. Virgil immediately started out towards the strangers to help pick it up. Mercury could tell right away they were on rundown. The way their steps were uneven and movements jagged, like a marionette, he figured they must have been jacking heavy hits just before they left. None of them needed be to taken down immediately; none of them were brandishing weapons yet.
Mercury had envisioned this moment so many times, huddled against the hulk of a burned out tree looking at the blank page of his journal. He had his chance to put the man down that he’d been tracking since childhood--the man that’d taught him first about the pleasures and pains of trust. The doc’ looked at the group of strangers before him. His eyes passed over Mercury without pause. He had no idea who he was.
“What are you doing here and why are you blocking us? Do you need something?” the doc’ spoke up.
Mercury replied, his voice shaking, “Yeah. We are here for a reason. Were lookin’ for a bastard by the name of Doc’ Targett.”
The words hung in the air and the men at the stretcher became noticeably more tense. The expression on doc’s face changed from one of annoyance to hostility. “I don’t know who you are, nor do I really care, but you had better move out of our way.” the doc’ said dismissingly. He motioned to the men at the stretcher and they all drew weapons. Only one of the men had a ranged weapon, a crossbow. Mercury knew if it came down to it, his group would make a short order out of the dopers.
“You don’t even remember me do you? I’m the little boy you pumped full of Mercury. You had me beaten to near death so you could experiment on me? Any of this ring a bell, you sick fuck?” Mercury probed.
A look of recognition seeped into his face. “Oh yes. That’s right. I remember you. And you’re still alive? You should be coming here to thank me.” he spoke as he circled Mercury, surveying his body. He stopped in front of him and a wry smile played across his face.
“Are there any side effects?” the doc’ teased.
“Yeah, I’m cold all day everyday, I‘m pissed off all the time, and I can‘t even go one day without thinking about how much I wanna fucking kill you.” Mercury was done with the games. If killing him meant the sacrifice of his salvation then so be it. He would pull the trigger knowing full well what the consequences would be this time and he would be ready for them. He raised the rifle in his hands a little and the doc’ stumbled back yelling at his lackeys to help. It was time to end that chapter in the crudely written book of Mercury’s life. He trained the rifle on the doc’, his men were all looking at each other confused. The doc’ looked back and locked eyes with Mercury. He didn’t look scared, he didn’t look angry--he was just waiting.
The piercing sound of gunfire erupted into the air. It all happened so fast, Mercury didn’t know who had shot or who had gone down. He didn’t fire his rifle, he was sure of that, but when he glanced over his shoulder, Ursa lay on the ground gasping for life as a pool of blood quickly began forming around her blown out shoulder. Mercury dove to the ground behind the hulk of Winnie. The dopers all started screaming and ran in different directions looking for something to kill or hide behind.
Virgil had just been looking around confused when another volley of shots came in, one of them connected, tearing a hole in the rear of his trousers as the bullet grazed by. He fell down, but recovered himself and fled into the hospital shortly behind doc’ and the stretcher. Mercury looked over Ursa’s wounds and knew it was important to get her help immediately. He did his best to carry her into the hospital without getting shot again. They were in some sort of reception area and the only thing left was a desk so he cleared it and set her on there. Ursa began field dressing herself and administered a few of the painkillers she’d picked up along the way. She was the only one that could give aid anyways so he was relieved when she’d said she’d do it herself.
Mercury could hear something in the room behind them, but wasn’t quite ready to deal with it yet. He sat down against the desk, tapping his fingers anxiously on his gun. Something had gone wrong back there, he was missing something. His whole group had been ambushed and split up. Virgil was probably the one he could hear in the other room, but the doc’ went in too. Ursa was in bad shape, but alive. Winnie managed to make it inside too, which was a relief. Having that bear would definitely make the people outside think twice. And Kid…and Kid? Where the hell was Kid? He was so blinded by his need for vengeance that he had forgotten all about Kid. The last few days he'd had himself convinced that he was ready for salvation. And when he had a true test, salvation or vengeance, he unwittingly threw away all that he had learned about himself.
Mercury held himself up by the rifle, he felt weak. Then he thought of the Voice of the Delta. He had faith when there was no hope for his community, yet through Camille's sacrifice, things got better. Would he have been able to see those events unfolding the way they did?
And as for salvation, Mercury mused. Salvation was not reliant on the action, rather how he reacted to the consequences of that action. With that he walked to the door and called out for Kid. Out there, in the middle of what just moments before had been a battlefield, ran kid with the most brilliant eyes Mercury had ever seen.
Smoke and Mirrors
Mercury Steele stood defiantly in front of the men in white lab coats exiting the abandoned hospital. When doc’ rounded the corner with eyes wide and bulging, every muscle in Mercury's body clenched. He held the Mosin Nagant in his hands like a statement of fact. Very deliberately, Mercury shouldered his weapon, but pointed it down and at the ready. The doc' was the one man that just might convince him to throw his salvation away for the satisfaction of having killed him.
The men were lugging an old hospital stretcher out and had been enthralled in whatever large object lay on it, covered with filthy sheets . It was only after they had cleared the hospital for several yards did they notice the ragged group impeding their way. They all looked stunned, one of them even dropped the stretcher and it fell with a thud. Virgil immediately started out towards the strangers to help pick it up. Mercury could tell right away they were on rundown. The way their steps were uneven and movements jagged, like a marionette, he figured they must have been jacking heavy hits just before they left. None of them needed be to taken down immediately; none of them were brandishing weapons yet.
Mercury had envisioned this moment so many times, huddled against the hulk of a burned out tree looking at the blank page of his journal. He had his chance to put the man down that he’d been tracking since childhood--the man that’d taught him first about the pleasures and pains of trust. The doc’ looked at the group of strangers before him. His eyes passed over Mercury without pause. He had no idea who he was.
“What are you doing here and why are you blocking us? Do you need something?” the doc’ spoke up.
Mercury replied, his voice shaking, “Yeah. We are here for a reason. Were lookin’ for a bastard by the name of Doc’ Targett.”
The words hung in the air and the men at the stretcher became noticeably more tense. The expression on doc’s face changed from one of annoyance to hostility.
“I don’t know who you are, nor do I really care, but you had better move out of our way.” the doc’ said dismissingly. He motioned to the men at the stretcher and they all drew weapons. Only one of the men had a ranged weapon, a crossbow. Mercury knew if it came down to it, his group would make a short order out of the dopers.
“You don’t even remember me do you? I’m the little boy you pumped full of Mercury. You had me beaten to near death so you could experiment on me? Any of this ring a bell, you sick fuck?” Mercury probed.
A look of recognition seeped into his face. “Oh yes. That’s right. I remember you. And you’re still alive? You should be coming here to thank me.” he spoke as he circled Mercury, surveying his body. He stopped in front of him and a wry smile played across his face.
“Are there any side effects?” the doc’ teased.
“Yeah, I’m cold all day everyday, I‘m pissed off all the time, and I can‘t even go one day without thinking about how much I wanna fucking kill you.” Mercury was done with the games. If killing him meant the sacrifice of his salvation then so be it. He would pull the trigger knowing full well what the consequences would be this time and he would be ready for them. He raised the rifle in his hands a little and the doc’ stumbled back yelling at his lackeys to help. It was time to end that chapter in the crudely written book of Mercury’s life. He trained the rifle on the doc’, his men were all looking at each other confused. The doc’ looked back and locked eyes with Mercury. He didn’t look scared, he didn’t look angry--he was just waiting.
The piercing sound of gunfire erupted into the air. It all happened so fast, Mercury didn’t know who had shot or who had gone down. He didn’t fire his rifle, he was sure of that, but when he glanced over his shoulder, Ursa lay on the ground gasping for life as a pool of blood quickly began forming around her blown out shoulder. Mercury dove to the ground behind the hulk of Winnie. The dopers all started screaming and ran in different directions looking for something to kill or hide behind.
Virgil had just been looking around confused when another volley of shots came in, one of them connected, tearing a hole in the rear of his trousers as the bullet grazed by. He fell down, but recovered himself and fled into the hospital shortly behind doc’ and the stretcher. Mercury looked over Ursa’s wounds and knew it was important to get her help immediately. He did his best to carry her into the hospital without getting shot again. They were in some sort of reception area and the only thing left was a desk so he cleared it and set her on there. Ursa began field dressing herself and administered a few of the painkillers she’d picked up along the way. She was the only one that could give aid anyways so he was relieved when she’d said she’d do it herself.
Mercury could hear something in the room behind them, but wasn’t quite ready to deal with it yet. He sat down against the desk, tapping his fingers anxiously on his gun. Something had gone wrong back there, he was missing something. His whole group had been ambushed and split up. Virgil was probably the one he could hear in the other room, but the doc’ went in too. Ursa was in bad shape, but alive. Winnie managed to make it inside too, which was a relief. Having that bear would definitely make the people outside think twice. And Kid…and Kid? Where the hell was Kid? He was so blinded by his need for vengeance that he had forgotten all about Kid. The last few days he'd had himself convinced that he was ready for salvation. And when he had a true test, salvation or vengeance, he unwittingly threw away all that he had learned about himself.
Mercury held himself up by the rifle, he felt weak. Then he thought of the Voice of the Delta. He had faith when there was no hope for his community, yet through Camille's sacrifice, things got better. Would he have been able to see those events unfolding the way they did?
And as for salvation, Mercury mused. Salvation was not reliant on the action, rather how he reacted to the consequences of that action. With that he walked to the door and called out for Kid. Out there, in the middle of what just moments before had been a battlefield, ran kid with the most brilliant eyes Mercury had ever seen.